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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — to cut
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. clip — for paper
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. perch — the fish
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. firm — steady
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — boats
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. clip — a video
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com